BABY LOVE / NINE
From the eight month mark baby boy had us on eggshells wondering whether we would even make it to a nine month shoot. A few spikes in blood pressure and sitting very low, my sister's obstetrician was expecting an early arrival. While it's more of an eight and a half month shoot, it's here. And it finished our little journey nicely.
The final result is a far cry from what I envisioned for the last hurrah. I wanted an epic finale. Crown Metropol pool, blue hour. Her beautiful, full, powerful body, submerged in the dark ripples, silhouetted against the glittery city skyline. I asked. They declined. Which I had expected, of course. I am a nobody after all. If I had lied and answered her question with a yes, of course it's for a wedding! then perhaps our final piece of the puzzle would look a little different. Yep, it would have been the strangest wedding on earth with a heavily pregnant, bikini clad woman saying (pretend) I do in the middle of a pool?
Courtney was ready for his arrival. The ache of her body was forcing her to slow down and any extra exertion for the camera was off the table. And I got it. I've been there too. Three times over.
So we had dinner. With our sister. In their home. That was ready and waiting for baby. I snapped. We ate and laughed. The best kind where your cheeks and stomach hurt. I left late in the night, full to the brim with happiness that only a relaxed, enjoyable night with siblings can bring. But I also felt a little deflated. That our last documentation of this journey was so.. ordinary. A later than expected shoot due to an unexpected check up for baby pushed us past sunset. Tired bodies. Below par indoor lighting. Not the best combination.
And while these are most certainly not the best photos of the series, they are - most certainly - honest. What life looks like when you are waiting. Just waiting. For life to change. Forever.
For the record, he was only four days early.
